Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to the removal of iron oxide from an iron surface, and more particularly to improvements in the adhesion of electroless nickel plating on iron-based surfaces.
Description of the Related Art
Nickel plating or electroless nickel plating can typically be used on metallic and non-metallic surfaces to provide improved surface properties to a material, which can include increased hardness, wear-resistance, and corrosion resistance. Nickel plating can also be used to provide particular electric and magnetic properties (e.g., ferromagnetic, non-magnetic) to a substrate.
Electroless plating is a chemical process typically involving an autocatalytic reaction between components of a plating solution and a material surface. An electroless process typically does not require the use of an electric current. Nickel plating can have different purity and structure (e.g., grain size, morphology/amorphousness, magnetic domain orientation, etc.) depending on whether the nickel plating is electrodeposited or electroless. Electroless nickel plating can contain notable amounts of phosphorus that can affect grain size, crystallinity, magnetic orientation, porosity, density, hardness, and corrosion resistance. Electroless nickel plating can provide more conformal plating with more uniform thickness compared to electrodeposited nickel. Electroless nickel plating with larger amounts of phosphorous can be amorphous. Electrodeposited nickel can be crystalline.
Surfaces typically require preparation to at least remove contaminants and activate the surface to be plated. While numerous cleaning and preparative methods are available for different surfaces, improved metal-to-metal bonding is desired.